Emma Hanley: Chooses

Emma Hanley has been a four- year member of the Manhasset rowing team. Last year, she had a tremendous season.

Most elite athletes base their college selection solely on maximizing their exposure. It’s a very poor method and often follows with disappointing results. Fortunately, Manhasset’s star coxswain, Emma Hanley, is an exceptionally smart student athlete who made her decision while considering several factors. For this reason, she chose to attend Stanford University in the fall.

“The school is dedicated to athletes and scholars,” says Hanley. “It’s a really collaborative school—they encourage their students to excel in their passion and contribute to the world in any way.”

The senior, who is mature beyond her years, will be joining her sister Keagan—who is also a member of crew.

“Her being there factored into my decision— I would love to be with her, but at the same time, I am an independent thinker,” she adds.

The Hanley sisters will be coached by Yasmin Farooq—a member of the National Rowing Foundation Hall of Fame. The ninth-year head coach is a two-time Olympic coxswain.

Hanley notes that she has used her as inspira- tion, and studied how she utilized her resources and made her coxswain calls to her team.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, the coxswain is the person in charge of the boat, including navigating and steering. This position requires a leader—someone who can truly be a delegator and relay the messages of the coach to the team. Hanley says that it’s difficult to quantify the impact that the coxswain has on the boat.

For this reason, it’s not easy being noticed by colleges on your own. Once she pinpointed Stanford as her desired university, she reached out to the head coach.

“It’s the responsibility of the athlete to form a relationship with the coach and find out if you can fit in with their team,” says Hanley.

With the combination of Hanley’s sister being on the team, her terrific work in the classroom and, most importantly, her ability in the boat, it was a perfect fit.

Hanley has been a four-year member of the Manhasset rowing team. Last year, she had a tremendous season. She qualified for the National tournament in California. While competing in the lightweight 4 category, she finished in second place in the entire nation.

“It was a fantastic experience,” she says. “It was very challenging competing against the strongest boats across the country.”

Manhasset has a rich tradition with crew. They have competed in “numerous Nationals” accord- ing to Hanley. During her sister’s tenure with the team, the Indians won three state championships. It’s tough to top that level of dominance.

This year, the team has been training six days a week to prepare for the spring season. They were a bit delayed starting practice in the water due to the inclement weather, but that hasn’t hindered their practice regimen.

“We work on running and weight training. Crew requires a strong body—it incorporates your legs, core and arms,” she says.

The team is beginning their Regattas, which will continue through June, if they qualify for Nationals again.